Folding-machine.



No. 866,746. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

P. w. THOMAS. FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 866,746. PATENTBD sBPTpM, 1907. F. w. THOMAS.

FOLDING MACHINE. APPLIOATION HLBD .5111.13.1901.

3 BHEETS-SEEET 2.

` No. 866,146. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

F. W. THOMAS.

'FOLDINQMAGHINE nrmognognnn nl.. 1s. 19o?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

. WITNESSES.'

INVENTOR.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. THOMAS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

FO LDING-MACHIN E Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907'.

Application filed April 13,1907, Serial N0. 367,913.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK W. THOMAs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Folding-Machine; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to folding machines, and partieularly to the class of such machines employed for making a single fold and which are manually manipulated for such purpose.

lt has heretofore been found impracticable to mechanically fold the inner and cover sheets of singlefold pamphlets due to the cover sheets usually being of larger size than the inner sheets to provide an extended cover edge, thus necessitating either a folding of the cover and inner sheetson different machines or at different times on the same machine, which manner of folding is undesirable, inasmuch as it is preferable to fold the inner and cover sheets in successive order and place them one inside of another until a suitable number of books have been folded, when .the books are removed from the pile, one after another, in inverse order to their folding, and the sheets and covers of each sewed or otherwise secured together.

The primary object of vmy invention is the provision of a simple and highly efficient machine of this class, which is operative to fold successive sheets with mechanical precision and accuracy Without breaking the paper on the line of fold, and which is provided with mechanism for automatically adjusting the feedgages after a predetermined number of inner sheets have been folded, whereby to adapt the machine to centrally fold a cover sheet of larger size than the inner sheets, after which the feed-gages are returned to their inner-sheet folding positions.

Further objects of my invention, as well as the operation, construction and arrangement of the parts thereof, will be apparent by reference to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, in whieh,-

Figure l is a top plan view of the machine embodying the features of my invention, with the parts shown in normal position and portions of the table-plates broken away. Figs. '2 and 3 are transverse sections taken, respectively, on the dotted lines 2 2 and 3 3 in Fig. l and looking in the directions indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of the parts when the foot-treadle is at its limit of folding movement. Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the forward portion of the folding-shaft and associated parts with said shaft and parts in the position shown in Fig. Il, except that the operating chain is removed and the clutch parts shown in open position. Fig. G is a side elevation of the machine with the feed-gage adjusting mechanism removed. Figs. 7 and S are diagrammatical views, showing, respectively, the positions of the folding shaft before and after a sheet has been folded, and Fig. 9 is a detail of a part of the feed-gage adjusting mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, f designates the feed-table frame of the machine, which is mounted on a table, or other support 5 in any suitable manner. Secured to the top of the frame are the two transverse surface plates (i, G and the vertical plate 7, which latter rises above the plates G, 6 at their forward ends and serves as a stationary feed guide for the forward edge of the sheets fed to the machine. Extending through the frame 4 between the contiguous edges of the spaced plates 6, G is the .folding-shaft 8 of the machine, the rear en d of which is journaled in a -bearing 9 at the rear of the frame while the forward end thereof is journaled in the spaced bearings l0, l0, which are carried by the forwardly extended portion Il of the frame. The portion of the shaft 8 disposed between the inner faces of the bearing 9 and vertical plate 7 is approximately half cut-away, as shown at Sn in Figs. 7 and 8,

to form the two longitudinally-extending plane surfaces 8b and 8c, the former abutting against the under surface of the right-hand plate G of the table when the shaft is in normal position, and the latter forming the folding surface of the shaft and radiating approximately from the axis thereof in substantially the surface plane of the plates G when the shaft is in normal position. The shaft 8 is so positioned relative to the right-hand fold-plate 6, Figs. l, 7 and 8, that its axis approximately coincides with the upper inner edge of said plate, thus enabling the folding surface 8c, when the shaft is given a half revolution, to seat flat on the registering marginal surface of the plate for the purpose of creasing a sheet a after making a fold. The sheet a, which is fed from the right, Figs. l, 7 and 8, to suitable feed-gages ll, ll, at the left of the shaft, is held to the fold-plate (3 by a plurality of resilient gripping-fingers l2, which are carried by a rock-shaft 13, and have their' free ends terminating in position to grip the sheet at the point of intended fold, so that the sheet will be folded thereover when the shaft is rocked. To enable the folding-surface Sc of the shaft to seat on the plate 6, it is provided with depressions S, which register with and receive the fingers l2 when the shaft is turned. The plate G is also slit from its inner edge on each side of a gripping-finger' l2, as shown at 6, to permit thel portions of the plate beneath the fingers to spring down with the fingers as the shaft 8 is turned thereon, so that the upper surface of the fingers at their terminals will stand in a plane with the surfaces of the plate. The shalt 13 is journaled in bearing-bosses 14, 14, which project laterally from the bearings 10, l0, and has-its rear end projected over the fold-plate 6 in spaced relation thereto, as shown.

Mounted on the shalt 8 intermediate the bearings l0, 10 are the loose clutch-collarl or member 15 and the fixed clutch-collar or member 16, which have clutchjaws l5*L and 16L projecting from the contiguous ends of the respective collars in position to coact alter the loose collar has had an initial turning movement relative to the fixed collar, thus causing the fixed collar and shalt to turn with the loose collar during the remainder of its forward movement. The clutch-jaws are normally held open by the action el the coiled compression-sprii1g 17, which has its ends mounted in opposing sockets in the jaws as shown in lI 4 and 5. The loose clutch-collar is prevented from sliding on its shalt by the collar 18 fixed to said shaft, and has the side thereof contiguous to said collar formed with an annular flange or shoulder 19. This flange or shoulder has its periphery provided with a depression 20, which, when the clutch-collar l5 is in -normal position, registers with the idler-roll 21 carried at the lree end of the arm 22, which arm projects from the rock-shalt 13. 1t is thus apparent that during the initial movement of the clutch collar 15 relative to the clutch-collar 16 the depression 20 in the flange or shoulder 19 is revolved away from the idler-roll 21, thereby effecting an oscillation ol the rock-shalt 13 sufficient to cause the gripping-fingers 12 carried thereby to hold the sheet a to the plate 6 during the folding movement ol the shalt 8. The idler-roll 2l is yieldingly hold to its seat in said depression by the flat spring-linger' 23, which is secured, as at 23L to the frame-part 4*l and has its free end bearing upwardly against an idler-roll or projection 24 on the arm 22.

The clutch-collar 15 is forwardly rotated by a chain or other suitable flexible memberl 25, which has one end secured to a pin 26 carried by said collar and its other end projected downwardly through an alining opening in the table or support 5 and attached to the lree end ol the horiZontally-disposed arm 27, which is carried by the rock-shalt 28. This shalt is journaled in brackets 29 secured to the underside ol the table 5 and carries, in addition to the arm 27, the downwardly extending arm 30, thus combining with said arms to form a bell-crank or angled lever. To the free end of the arm 30 is pivoted the forward end ol the swinging foot-treadle 31, which has its rear end formed with a suitable foot seat and swingingly suspended by a suitable suspensory member 32 from the table 5, as shown in Fig. 6.

Alter a folding movement has been imparted to the shalt S by a forward movement ol the treadle 31, it is actuated to return to its normal position by the coiled spring 33, which encircles the shalt and has one end secured to the forward bearing 10 and its other end secured to a collar 34, which is fixed to the shalt. The shalt is stopped at the proper point on its return movement due to the coaetion ola lug 35 on the clutch-member 16 with the end of an adjusting-pin 36 carried by a portion of the frame-part 4, as shown.

Mounted for reciprocatory movement transversely ol the frame 4 beneath the plates 6, 6 is a plunger or rod 37, to which a sleeve 38 is adjustably threaded at the left ol the shaft 8. This sleeve has a part projecting through an elongated slot 39 in the associated plate 6 and carrying the laterally projecting shalt or rod 4() to which the leed-gages 11, 11 are suitably secured. The left end of the plunger 37 is intended to` engage the periphery ol a disk 41., which is mounted on the shaft 42 at the side ol the frame 4, and to move into a notch 43 in said disk as it is moved into register therewith by a rotation ol the shaft 42, the movement of the plunger being actuated by the coiled compression-spring 44 thereon. This spring coacts at its ends with a collar 45 and sleeve 46 on said plunger, the latter being loose thereon and threaded through a portion of the frame 4. Formed at the outer end of the sleeve 46 is a peripherally-notched head 47, the notches ol which are normally engaged by a spring-linger 48, projecting from a pin 49, to retain the sleeve in adjusted position. Carried by the plunger 37 Without the sleeve 46 is a peripherally-notehed nut 50, which is engaged by a spring-Finger 51 to retain it in adjusted position. rlhis nut is intended to coact with the head of the sleeve 46 to limit the reciprocatory movement of the plunger, and is also for the purpose of regulating the adjustment of the feed-gage carrying sleeve 3S on the plunger, as a turning of said nut, when secured by thelock-nut 50, will effect a turning of the plunger within the sleeve 38.

The shaft 42, carrying the disk 41, is mounted in suitable bearings 52 projecting from the side of the Aframe 4 and carries at its forward end one or more ratchet-wheels 53 and the loose arm 54, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Projecting laterally from the free end of the arm 54 is a pin 55, which carries a pawl 56 having a pin or lug projecting from the side thereof in position to engage the teeth ol the ratchet 53v with which it is intended to coaet. This pawl is slidable on the pin 55 to adapt it to be positioned to engage any ofthe ratchets 53, which are provided with different numbers ol teeth, as for instance, one has 4, another 5, and another 6, lor the purpose of imparting different fractions ol a revolution to the shalt 42 from the movement ol the pawl 56. A spring 57 is carried by the arm 54 and coacts with the pawl 56 to normally retain it in engagement with the periphery of the registering ratchet 53. The arm 54 is connected by a link or member 58 to an arm 59 fixed to the shalt 8, whereby a rocking movement is imparted from the latter to the lormer arm.

60 designates a counting mechanism which is connected by a link 61.to a pin 62 on the outer ratchet 53, thus causing a count to be made at eachl revolution ol the shaft 42.

The operation of my machine is as lollowsg-The leedgages 11 being properly adjusted to suit the size of the sheet to be folded, a sheet a is passed lrom the right over the plates 6, 6 beneath the grip-lingers 12 and fed to the vertical plate 7 and said leed-gages. The sheet being thus positioned, the operator swings the treadle 31 with a slight forward movement of his loot, thus causing the chain 25 to be pulled down by the rocking of the attached bell-crank lever and imparting a consequent partial revolution to the clutch-collar l5 and shaft 8. As the collar 15 is revolved it has an initial movement relative to the shalt S sufficient to cause the depression 2O in the shoulder 19 to move out of register with the idler-roll 21 and effect a gripping of the sheet a by the lingers 12 before the fixed clutch-collar 16 is engaged by the collar l5 and a folding movement thereby communicated to the shaft 8. As the shaft S is revolved the sheet is held firmly to the table by the gripping-fingers l2 and the surface 8C thereof is turned over upon said fingers and the contiguous edge of the fold-plate 6, causing the sheet to be folded upon itself along a line which approximately coincides both with the axis of the shaft and the terminals of the fingers l2 and creased. When the driving str'ess is released from the chain 25 the shaft and attached parts are actuated to return to their nor'mal positions by the spring 33. On each for'ward or folding movement of the shaft 8 the arm 54, which is connected thereto through the medium oi the link 58 and the shaft-arm 59 is oscillated and causes the pawl 56 to engage one of the teeth on the coactin g disk 53 and impart a partial revolution thereto and to the shaft l2 equal to the distance between two teeth. lt will thus be apparent that if the pawl-coacting disk has five teeth, the notch in the disk A il will register with and permit tire end of the plunger' or rod 37 to `move therein, at each fifth folding movement, thereby adapting the machine to the folding of a four sheet and cover pamphlet, inasmuch as the nrovement of the plunger automatically adjusts the feed-gages ll to accurately gage the feed of a cover' which is of larger size than the inner sheets. On the folding of the cover the plunger is again moved out of the notch in the disk 4l to adjust the feedgages to gage the feeding of the succeeding inner sheets. The length of movement of the plunger' 37 as it is forced into the notch Lf3 ofthe disk 4l is .regulated by a turning of th e adjusting-sleeve 4G in the frame so as to vary the normal space between it and the nut 50, said sleeve serving as a stop for limiting the inward movement of the plunger. The sleeve 38 is moved longitudinally of the plunger' 37 to effect an adjustment of the feed-gages ll r'elative to the shaft 8, by a proper turning of the nut 50 when locked to the plunger by the lock-nut 50, Should the pawl 56 be positioned to engage the ratchetwheel 53 having six teeth it will be apparent that the engagement of each tooth by the pawl will move the shaft i2 one-sixth of a revolution, thus adapting the machine to successively fold five inner slreots and a cover, or should th e ratchet have five teeth the machine will be adapted for the folding of four inner sheets and a cover. Should it be desired to fold only one size of sheets the disk 4l may be slid on its shalt out of register with the plunger 3l for such purpose.

While I have shown and described a particular construction oi` folding-machine, l wish it understood that l do not restrict myself to the exact details of such construction, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described my inven tion, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ispl. The combination with the feed-table, and the folding mechanism of a folding-machine, of a feed-gage, and mechanism for effecting an adjustment of the feed-gage when a predetermined number of folds have been made, whereby the same gages serve to gage sheets of different sizes.

The combination with the feed-table, and the foldingmechanism of a folding-machine, of feed-gages movable relative to the table and in the plane of the feed of Athe work, and mechanism for veffecting' an automatic adjustment of the feed-gages when a predetermined number of sheets have been folded.

3. The combination with the feed-table, and the foldingmechanism of a folding-machine, of feed-gages, and mechanism operative b v an operation of the folding mechanism to effect an automatic adjustment of the feed-gages at predetermined periods in the operation of the machine, said gages having their adjusting movements in parallelism with the table.

-l. 'lhe combination with the feed-gages, and foldingniechanism of a folding-machine, of mechanism automatically operative at predetermined folding operations to effect an adjustment of the feed-gages, said gages serving both in the normal and adjusted positions to gage the work.

The combination with the feed-gages, and the foldingmechanism of a folding-machine, of mechanism automatically operative at predetermined folding-operations to effect an adjustment of the feed-gages in the plane of the feed of the work to gage a sheet of different size than the preceding sheet and to return said gages to their' normal pcsitionl G. In a folding-machine, the combination with the feedgages and folding-mechanism, of mechanism automatically operative to ei'ect an adjustment of the feed-gages at predetermined periods in the operation of the machine, and means for regulating.;l the adjusting movement of thc gages.

7. ln a folding-machine, thc combination with the feedgages, and the folding-mechanism, of a rcciprocatory element carryingthe feed-gages, and mechanism movable to eli'ect a reciprocatory movement of said element whereby to adjust the 8. In a folding-machine, the combination with the feedgages, and the folding-mechanism, of a reciprocatory element carrying the gages, and rotatable means coacting with said element and operative by the folding-mechanism to effect a rcciprocatory movement of said element at predetermined periods in the Operation of said mechanism whereby to adjust the gages.v

9. In a folding-machine, a folding-shaft, means for operating said shaft, feed-gages, and mechanism automatically operative to effect an adjustment of the gages at predetermined opcrations of the shaft, whereby the same gages serve to gage sheets of different sizes.

10. In a folding-machine, the combination with the folding mechanism, of feed-gages, a plunger adjustably carrying said gages, means enacting with and movable relative to the plunger' to effect a reciprocation thereof, and mechanism operative to move said means whereby a properly timed movement is imparted to the plunger and an adjustment of the gages effected.

l1. In a folding-machine, a feed-gage, a movable member' carrying said gage, means for effecting a relative adjustment of said gage and member, and mechanism operative to effect a movement ol' said member and gage at predetermined periods in the operation of the machine.

12. ln a folding-machine, the combination with the folding-mechanism, of a feed-gage, a movable member carrying said gage, means for' effecting a relative adjustment of said gage and member, and mechanism operative by the folding mechanism to effect an intermittent movement of said member.

13. In a folding-rnachine, the combination with the folding-mechanism, of feed-gages, a reeiprocatory member' car'- rying said gages, a shaft, a notched element carried by said shaft and having its notched surface engaged by the end of said member, a ratchet-wheel carried by the shaft, a pawl engaging said ratchet-wheel, and means connecting the pawl and folding mechanism for moving the pawl whereby 'an intermittent movement is imparted to the notched element and a reciprocatory movement is imparted to the member from said element.

l-i. In a folding-machine, the combination with a folding-shaft and mechanism for rocking said shaft, of a reciprocatory plunger', feed-gages car'ried by the plunger', al

shaft, a member' mounted on said shaft and having a depression irrto which the end of the plunger moves as they come in register', means for' moving the plunger' in the depression, and means for imparting a partial revolution to said latter' shaft each time the folding-shaft is rocked.

15. In a folding-machine, a plate' forming a foldingsurface, an oscillatory folding-member having its axis approximately coinciding with one edge of the plate and provided with a folding-surface which radiates from said plate edge and coactswith the folding surface of the plate when said member is osciilated, and means for oscillating said member.

1G. In a foldingmachine, a plate forming a folding surface, an oscillatory folding-member mounted at an edge of said plate and having a folding surface normally lying in the plane of the plate and movable to coact with the folding surface thereof, gripping-fingers positioned for their terminals to grip the plate approximately along a line coinciding with the axis of said member, and mechanism for imparting the gripping movement to said fingers and the folding movement to said member.

1T. In combination, a folding-shaft having a radial folding surface, a fixed foldingplate, a rock`shaft, gripfingers carried by the rockshaft to grip the work at the point of fold, and mechanism operative to rock said rockshaft to canse the fingers to grip the work and to impart a folding movement to the folding-shaft.

1S. In combination, a folding-shaft, a plate with which the shaft coacts to form a fold, a rock-shaft, grip- Iingers carried by the rock-shaft, a loose clutch-collar mounted on the folding-shaft and having an annular flange provided with a depression, an arm carried by the rock-shaft and yieldingly resting in said depression when the parts are in normal position, a fixed clutchcollar mounted on the folding-shaft and positioned to permit the loose collar to have a relative initial movement sufficient to move the depression out of register with the cooperating portion of said arm whereby to effect a gripping movement of said fingers and then to engage the fixed collar to impart the folding movement to the shaft, means for imparting forward rotation to the loose collar, and means for returning the folding-shaft and said collars to normal position.

19. The combination with a rock-shaft andthe part with which it coacts to make a fold of a flexible member having one end fixed to said rock shaft and partially encircling the same, a bell-crank lever having the free end of a horizontal arm attached to the other end of .said member, a treadle having its forward end pivoted to the free end of the vertical arm of the lever and its rear end swingingly suspended, whereby a horizontal swinging movement of the treadle will cause the bell lever to pnll the flexible member and rock the shaft.

20. In a folding-machine, an oscillatory folding-shaft, a fixed object with which the shaft coacts to form a fold, members movable to grip the work during the making of a fold, and mechanism for oscillating the shaft and moving said members.

21. In a folding-machine, an oscillatory member having a radial folding surface, a part cooperating with the member to make a fold, gripping members movable to grip the work during the making of a fold, and mechanism for moving the oscillatory and gripping members.

22. In a folding-machine, a rock-shaft having a folding snrface beginning at and radiating from its center, members movable to hold the work while being folded, and mechanism for rocking the shaft and moving said members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK W. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

C. W. OWEN, HAZEL B. Hin'r'r. 

